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NEWS WEDNESDAY,
SEPTEMBER 8, 2010 NEWS
EARLY EDTION
Obama:
"They Talk About Me Like A Dog"
President Obama employed dramatic language over the weekend to mobilize
a listless Democratic base and cast Republicans as special interest shills
standing in the way of economic recovery. At the Milwaukee Laborfest in
Milwaukee, Wisc., the president promoted a plan for $50 billion jobs initiative.
His administration, Mr. Obama said, has been focused on strengthening the
American middle class, in spite of strong corporate opposition. Rebuilding
the middle class, he said, has "meant taking on some powerful interests
-- some powerful interests who had been dominating the agenda in Washington
for a very long time." "And they're not always happy with me," Mr. Obama
added. "They talk about me like a dog. That's not in my prepared remarks,
it's just -- but it's true." CBS
VOA VIEW: Obama deserves all the negative
credits.
Obama
To Back More Business Tax Breaks
President Obama will call on Congress to pass new tax breaks that would
allow businesses to write off 100 percent of their new capital investments
through 2011, the latest in a series of proposals the White House is rolling
out in hopes of showing action on the economy ahead of the November elections.
An administration official said the tax breaks would save businesses $200
billion over two years, allowing companies to have more cash on hand. The
president will outline the proposal during a speech on the economy in Cleveland
Wednesday. Washington
Times
Sharpton's
Nonprofit On The Brink, Audit Finds
An accounting firm hired by Al Sharpton's National Action Network found
the civil-rights group in such financial disarray that it flunked its record-keeping
-- and may not even survive, The New York Post has learned. The scathing
critique was spelled out in a hard-hitting internal audit of NAN's books,
a copy of which was obtained by The Post. "The organization has suffered
recurring decreases in net assets -- and has been dependent upon advances
from related parties and the nonpayment of payroll tax obligations -- to
maintain continuity," the firm KBL concluded in an April 2 audit of NAN's
2008 financial records, the most recent available. Fox
News
VOA VIEW: Good!
Gold
Glitters On Debt Jitters
Gold rose $7 an ounce to $1,258, after a series of reports raised questions
about banks' capital levels and their exposure to bonds issued by stressed
nations such as Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Italy and Spain. Tuesday's rally
takes the gold price up almost $100 an ounce from its midsummer low and
just a few dollars from the June record of $1,260. It also confirms the
warnings of gold bulls, who insisted during a mostly calm summer that gold's
selloff would turn around once the financial markets had to deal with another
crisis. But while the European bank crisis is in the headlines Tuesday,
it mostly reminds investors of the grim bigger picture: A fragile recovery
in which developed world governments struggle to rekindle growth without
setting off alarms about their deteriorating finances. CNN
As Dems Kick
Off Fall Campaign, Obama Promises Another Multi-Billion Stimulus Program
The Democratic Party officially kicks off its fall election campaign
in Philadelphia on today “major national address” delivered by party chairman
Tim Kaine. Kaine, according to a Democratic National Committee news release,
will “frame November’s elections and explain the choice the American people
have in front of them--a choice between Democrats, who are moving America
forward; and Republicans, who want to take us back to the failed policies
of the past that brought our economy to the brink of collapse.” CNS
News
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Chicago
Mayor Richard Daley Won’t Seek Reelection
Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley shocked the political world this afternoon
when he announced he would not seek reelection to a seventh term in February.
Daley’s approval ratings have slumped to their lowest levels in his 21
years in office, according to a Chicago Tribune poll released in July.
Only 37 percent of voters approved of his job performance, while 53 percent
said they didn’t want him to run for another term. ABC
Comerica's
Plan To Retire TruPS May Trigger Redemption Wave By U.S. Banks
Comerica Inc.’s plan to retire trust-preferred securities early may
save the lender millions of dollars on interest payments and trigger a
wave of similar redemptions by U.S. banks. Comerica, the Dallas-based bank
that caters to businesses, plans to redeem $500 million of TruPS at face
value, saying that the recently enacted Dodd-Frank Act no longer allows
lenders to count them as regulatory capital, according to a Sept. 1 statement.
Banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc. may soon stage
similar buybacks, lawyers said. The early redemption could be a blow to
owners of TruPS, which often carried interest rates higher than other debt
securities. Paying off TruPS before they mature deprives investors of future
income and compels them to reinvest elsewhere at today’s lower rates. Almost
1,400 U.S. lenders issued $149 billion of the securities by the end of
2008, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. Bloomberg
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Marijuana
On Four Ballots Energizes Political Debate
Marijuana is on the ballot in four states this November, including
the first effort of its kind in California to fully legalize pot, but don't
expect politicians to get high on the idea any time soon. In what could
become another hot button political issue this November, Democrats in California
are divided over Proposition 19, which would legalize marijuana use and
allow government to make money off of it by imposing new regulations and
taxes. The California government projected that at an excise tax of $50
per ounce, the new law would bring in about $1.4 billion in revenues for
the state. Several members of Congress, such as Reps. Pete Stark, Barbara
Lee and George Miller have spoken candidly in favor of it. The California
Democratic Party chose not to take any position on it. But virtually all
heavy hitters are opposed to it, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Sen.
Barbara Boxer, and both gubernatorial candidates. ABC
Obama
Student-Aid Rule Riles For-Profits, Spurs Most Letters Since 1983
Matthew Kapral, a student at Education Management Corp.’s Art Institute
of Pittsburgh, was walking to class in July when a school representative
sat him in front of a computer and coached him on a letter opposing limits
on federal student aid to for-profit colleges. “They kind of started it
off with a paragraph, and I added a sentence or two myself,” said Kapral,
who estimated that his bachelor’s degree in graphic design will cost him
$84,000. For-profit colleges are enlisting students and teachers to lobby
against proposed limits on student aid, and may at times be using misleading
tactics, the U.S. Department of Education said. The proposed government
crackdown on aid has generated about 26,000 letters to the department,
the most on any topic since 1983. Bloomberg
US
Officials To Discuss NKorea Impasse In Asia
U.S. officials are heading to Asia to discuss the impasse over North
Korea's nuclear program. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Tuesday
that Obama administration's envoys to North Korea, Stephen Bosworth and
Sung Kim, as well as the National Security Council's Asia director, Daniel
Russell, are leaving next week for talks in Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing. The
trip comes as China pushes to resume talks with North Korea. China has
suggested a compromise among the six countries involved in the nuclear
disarmament talks. Seoul and Washington have been wary. They accuse North
Korea of torpedoing a South Korean warship in March. North Korea walked
away from the talks to protest international condemnation of its latest
missile test. Las
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Bank
Stress Socks Europe
Borrowing costs soared Tuesday for weaker European governments and
their banks, after a series of unsettling reports about bank risks and
the region's capacity to shoulder a massive debt burden. Spreads on government
bonds issued by Portugal and Ireland surged above the peaks they reached
in May, during the last round of market unrest. Investors were demanding
3.76 percentage points more to lend to Ireland than to Germany, and 3.51
percentage points more to lend to Portugal than Germany. Greek spreads
were approaching their record highs. The moves came after investors got
bad news from almost every angle over the long Labor Day weekend in the
United States. CNN
Uncertain Business
Climate Is Hobbling Employment
American businesses are most worried about what Washington’s going
to do next, N.J. Gov. Chris Christie said on Tuesday. In an interview with
Fox & Friends, Christie said the Obama administration lacks a “clear,
cogent message” for the American people: “I can tell you that when I talk
to business people in New Jersey -- the thing they’re most concerned about
is the uncertainty. They never know what’s going to come out of Washington
and how it’s going to add to the cost of them doing business. And so you
have businesses both small and large sitting on a lot of money that they
could put into hiring people – but they don’t know what the real cost [will
be], between health care and tax increases that look like they’re on the
horizon.” CNS News
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Shorter
School Weeks To Save Money
Thanks to a long Labor Day weekend, most students heading back to school
today will enjoy a four-day school week. But for some students around
the country, every week this school year will be only four days.
Facing massive budget cuts and teacher layoffs, some school districts have
opted to cut operational costs by closing schools one day per week. Fox
News
U.S.
Judge Refuses To Lift Ban On Govt Stem Cell Funds
A U.S. judge on Tuesday refused to lift a ban on federal funding of
human embryonic stem cell research despite warnings from the Obama administration
that it would set back key research and cost more than a thousand jobs.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth rejected the Obama administration's
request to lift his injunction while the government appeals his ruling
that barred federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research. Reuters
In
Tough Economy, Labor Strikes Are Losing Ground
Labor strikes — seen as one of the key bargaining chips unions have
had to get good wages and working conditions from employers — some day
may end up only in history books. Not great news after Labor Day weekend,
when we’re supposed to be celebrating the social and economic achievements
of working stiffs everywhere. The number of major U.S. strikes, including
those involving 1,000 workers or more, fell to just five in 2009, the lowest
level since 1947, when the Department of Labor first began tracking the
data. “The bottom line is that unions know the strike weapon just doesn't
work that well anymore, especially in a tough economy,” said Phillip Wilson,
president of the Labor Relations Institute. MSNBC
Polls
Offer Grim Outlook For Democrats In November
A series of polls released today paint a grim picture for Democrats
in the upcoming midterm elections. Likely voters surveyed say they favor
Republicans over Democrats, and they trust the GOP more to handle issues
like the economy. In a Washington Post/ABC News poll, 53 percent of likely
voters said they would vote for the Republican candidate in their district
if the midterm elections were today, while 40 percent would vote for the
Democrat. (Worth noting: the two parties are nearly tied when it comes
to the preferences of voters overall, not just likely voters.) Among voters
overall, independents -- a critical voting bloc -- say they would support
Republican over Democratic candidates in their House districts by a 13-point
margin. CBS
Church
Rebuffs Military Concerns On Koran Burning
A Christian minister said Tuesday that he will go ahead with plans
to burn copies of the Koran to protest the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks,
despite warnings from the top U.S. general in Afghanistan and the White
House that doing so would endanger U.S. troops. The Rev. Terry Jones, pastor
of the Dove World Outreach Center, said he understands the government's
concerns, but he plans to go forward with the burning this Saturday, the
ninth anniversary of the attacks. He left the door open to change his mind,
however, saying that he is still praying about his decision. Gen. David
H. Petraeus warned Tuesday in an e-mail to the Associated Press that "images
of the burning of a Quran would undoubtedly be used by extremists in Afghanistan
— and around the world — to inflame public opinion and incite violence."
Washington
Times
White
House Defends King Quote On Oval Office Rug
No need for a rewrite _ or a reweave _ of the new rug in the Oval Office.
President Barack Obama's spokesman said Tuesday the White House was correct
to attribute a famous quotation in the rug's pattern to Martin Luther King
Jr., even though the civil rights leader acknowledged being inspired by
a 19th-century abolitionist, Thomas Parker. "It was not us that thought
he said it, it was many people that believed _ rightly so _ that he said
it," press secretary Robert Gibbs said. The wheat, cream and blue rug,
which debuted in the Oval Office last week, features the presidential seal
in the center and quotations from famous Americans around the border. Describing
the rug, a White House statement credited King for these words: "The arc
of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." Las
Vegas Sun
VOA VIEW: The "black' thing, again.
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Call
For Sept 11 Truce Over New York Muslim Center
Families of September 11 victims are arguing whether to call a truce
on the anniversary of the 2001 attacks on the United States as debate rages
over plans for a Muslim center near the World Trade Center site. Rallies
for and against the Islamic cultural center and mosque are set for Saturday
in New York after a memorial ceremony at the site known as Ground Zero
for the 2,752 people killed when al Qaeda militants flew hijacked planes
into the twin towers nine years ago. Critics say the planned location two
blocks from Ground Zero in downtown Manhattan is insensitive, while supporters
say politicians have wrongly commandeered the emotionally charged debate
ahead of U.S. congressional elections on November 2. Reuters
Obama
Issues Rosh Hashana Message
U.S. President Barack Obama Tuesday offered videotaped best wishes
to Jews celebrating Rosh Hashana and linked it to Middle East peace talks.
Noting Rosh Hashana marks the start of the Jewish spiritual calendar, Obama
said the holy day "calls us to look within ourselves -- to repent for our
sins; recommit ourselves to prayer; and remember the blessings that come
from helping those in need." "And as we begin this New Year, it is more
important than ever to believe in the power of humility and compassion
to deepen our faith and repair our world," he said in a transcript released
by the White House. "At a time when too many of our friends and neighbors
are struggling to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads, it
is up to us to do what we can to help those less fortunate. UPI
VOA VIEW: Obama is no friend of Israel,
Jews, or whites.
Microbes
Eating BP Oil Aren't Starving Gulf Of Oxygen
Federal scientists are reporting the best possible scenario for BP's
leaked oil: Microbes are munching the underwater oil, but not robbing the
Gulf of Mexico of much needed oxygen or creating so-called "dead zones."
Oxygen levels in some places where the BP oil spilled are down by 20 percent,
but that's not nearly low enough to create the dead zones where fish can't
live, according to a 95-page report released Tuesday. Trying to disperse
the oil underwater is like walking a tightrope. In an unusual move, BP
released 771,000 gallons of chemical dispersant at the leaking well head,
about a mile deep, instead of just on the water surface to break up the
oil into tiny droplets. MSNBC
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Egypt
Nabs Weapons Destined For Gaza
Egyptian security forces found nine weapons caches in the Sinai Peninsula
and confiscated weapons slated for Gaza, an official said. It is the third
time in the past 10 days Egyptian security forces have uncovered weapons
destined to be smuggled into the Gaza Strip, Maan news agency said Tuesday.
The weapons were found in a number of locations in northern and central
Sinai as well as the city of Rafah that borders the Gaza Strip and the
Egyptian port of Al Arish, the agency said. Egyptian security personnel
confiscated machine guns, anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank mines, ammunition
and explosives. UPI
PA Says
2 Suspects Nabbed For Carrying Out Terror Attacks
Officials say terrorists, who are both members of Hamas, arrested over
the weekend and being held by Palestinian security forces; they wont be
extradited to Israel.
Palestinian Authority security organizations have arrested two men
suspected of carrying out the recent West Bank shooting attack that injured
two Israelis. Last week's attack took place at the Rimonim Junction, east
of the West Bank city of Ramallah. Two Israelis were injured, one seriously,
when Palestinian gunmen ambushed the Israeli car. The terrorists were arrested
at the weekend, according to the report, and are now being held by Palestinian
security forces but will not be extradited to Israel. Jerusalem
Post
Russian
FM Tlls Iran To Cooperate With IAEA
Lavrov calls for clarity on Teheran's nuclear program, asks Islamic
Regime to behave transparently for the sake of all concerned, including
Iran. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday called for clarity
on all issues pertaining to the Iranian nuclear program. "Clarity in all
remaining issues of the Iranian nuclear program is not only necessary,
but would also primarily serve the interests of Iran itself," Lavrov said.
He also called on Iran to cooperate and behave transparently with the International
Atomic Energy Agency. On Monday, Iran's nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi
announced that Teheran had the right to bar some UN inspectors from monitoring
its disputed nuclear program. Jerusalem
Post
Two
US Soldiers Killed In Northern Iraq Shooting
Two US soldiers have been killed and nine wounded in northern Iraq.
The US military says they were shot by a gunman dressed in Iraqi army uniform
near the town of Tuz Khormato, 210km (130 miles) north of Baghdad. The
Americans were among a group of US soldiers meeting Iraqi security forces
at an Iraqi army compound. The killings are the first US military deaths
since US President Barack Obama declared an end to US combat operations
in Iraq on 31 August. "Eleven US soldiers were engaged with small arms
fire, killing two and wounding nine, inside an Iraqi army commando compound,"
a US military statement said. BBC
Gene Variations
May Have Breast Cancer Role, Team Says
Researchers say they have identified a series of gene variations which
together may play a role in the development of a common breast cancer.
A study of women in Finland and Sweden found 121 variations in their DNA.
The Singapore team think these are linked to oestrogen production - known
to play a role in a breast cancer type which afflicts post-menopausal women.The
researchers say the findings might be used to identify women who might
benefit from oestrogen-lowering drugs. BBC
France:
Protests Over Pensions Bring Over A Million Onto Boulevards
French protesters furious over the government's proposals to change
the pensions system flooded the boulevards of cities from Paris to Marseille
today as Nicolas Sarkozy's embattled labour minister presented the reform
to a parliament echoing with jeers. Huge numbers of people – 1.1 million
according to the government, 2.7 million according to the leading CGT union
– turned out throughout France to demonstrate against plans to raise the
retirement age from 60 to 62. There was significant disruption caused to
trains, planes and public services as a result of the strike. In the capital
alone, the CGT union estimated the number of protesters at 270,000. Guardian
Canon
Law Has Allowed Abuse Priests To Escape Punishment
The claims come amid growing calls for Pope Benedict to be arrested
for crimes against humanity when he arrives in the UK. The system of law
operated by the Vatican has allowed serious sex offenders to escape punishment
and must be abandoned, says a prominent lawyer. According to Geoffrey Robertson
QC, whose book The Case of the Pope is published tomorrow: "Canon law has
been allowed to trump criminal law in countries throughout the world. This
is a very serious matter‚ the pope through his pretensions to statehood
refuses to acknowledge that child sex abuse is a serious crime as well
as a sin. "The Catholic church must abandon canon law as a punishment for
priests who commit crimes." Guardian
Council
Spending Cuts 'Will Cost 1,000 Jobs'
Plans by a council to make savings of almost £220 million in
the next four years will lead to more than 1,000 job losses, a leading
union warned today. The GMB said job losses on that scale at Sheffield
City Council would be a "major blow" to employment prospects in the area.
The council said it could not put a figure on job losses, adding that it
was entering into discussions with trade unions about the spending cuts.
GMB official Tim Roache said: "We believe there will be in excess of 1,000
job losses in Sheffield to achieve this level of savings. This is a major
blow to employment in the city and there is no point in the council trying
to dispute our figure. "We will enter into discussions with the council
to protect jobs and services as best we can." Independent
Bank
Capital Rules Uncertainty Sets Up Market For An Anxious Week Of Waiting
A group of central bankers and regulators from around the world agreed
on the new capital requirements for banks, however the industry will have
to wait until after a further meeting at the weekend to hear the final
proposals. On Sunday, the Group of Governors and Heads of Supervision,
the oversight body for the Basel Committee, will meet to give their assent
to the rules, which means markets will have to wait until Monday to give
their verdict on the new capital requirements for banks. This prospect
of more uncertainty, with speculation growing that the new capital ratios
required will be higher than originally expected, made for a volatile day
of trading, with the STOXX indices of European bank shares falling 1.5pc,
while gold prices rose on fears over the health of the region's banking
system. Telegraph
China
To Build $2bn Railway For Iran
China is poised to sign a $2bn (£1.3bn) deal to build a railway
line in Iran in the first step of a wider plan to tie the Middle East and
Central Asia to Beijing. China's railways minister, Liu Zhijun, is expected
to visit Tehran this week to seal the deal, according to his Iranian counterpart,
Hamid Behbahani. "The final document of the contract has already been signed
with a Chinese company and the Chinese minister will visit Iran on September
12 to ink the agreement," said Mr Behbahani. The new line will run from
Tehran to the town of Khosravi on the border with Iraq, around 360 miles
as the crow flies, passing through Arak, Hamedan and Kermanshah. Eventually,
the Iranian government said, the route could link Iran with Iraq and even
Syria as part of a Middle-Eastern corridor. That could also benefit the
5,000 Iranians who make pilgrimages each day to the holy cities of Najaf
and Karbala in Iraq. Telegraph
Focus
On World’s Most Disadvantaged Children Can Save Millions Of Lives – UNICEF
Investing first in the world’s most disadvantaged children and communities
can save millions of lives and help spur progress towards achieving internationally
agreed development targets, according to a new study by the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The agency found that an equity-based approach,
focusing on the needs of the most disadvantaged children, can be a cost-effective
strategy to reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – eight targets
that include slashing poverty, hunger and a host of other socio-economic
ills, all by 2015. The findings were presented today in two publications:
Narrowing the Gaps to Meet the Goals and the flagship data-based report
Progress for Children: Achieving the MDGs with Equity. UN
News
New
UN Humanitarian Chief Spends First Day At Work In Flood-Hit Pakistan
The newly-appointed United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie
Amos arrived in Pakistan today, her first day on the job, to witness the
humanitarian response to the flood disaster and encourage more donor support
to the millions of people affected across the length of the South Asian
country. “Humanitarian work is about reaching people affected by crises,
providing emergency assistance, and supporting them through the most difficult
times,” said Ms. Amos, who is also the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian
Affairs. UN
News
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